Chapter 7: He was extremely willing to endure hardship.

“You…” Wen Ru lowered her head and saw herself wrapped like a silkworm cocoon, with half of Fu Jizhou’s body pressing on her. She couldn’t help but speak, wanting to ask what was going on.

Fu Jizhou followed her gaze and saw the thick brocade quilt wrapped around her, and his own hands encircling the quilt. Panic filled his eyes. Sitting up straight wasn’t enough; he stood up and stepped back clumsily.

Because Wen Ru was still unconsciously gripping his sleeve under the blanket, he was caught off guard and stumbled two steps. A hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashed in his eyes. He used a bit more force to decisively pull his sleeve back, then folded his arms and continued to back away.

His demeanor was as if he couldn’t wait to flee a hundred miles away in one step, no longer resembling the person who had been tightly embracing her moments ago.

Wen Ru sat up and looked at her palm. She didn’t know when she had grabbed his sleeve, but she had apparently held on so tightly that he had to yank it back so forcefully. It must be red and hot now, she thought.

Seeing her looking down at her palm, Fu Jizhou hastily spoke, “You’re awake. I’ll go call Hua Ting and the others.” With that, he quickly walked towards the exit, as if escaping.

Perhaps due to his flustered state, he accidentally bumped into the leg of a round table in the corner of the inner room, letting out a small hiss of pain.

“Hey, why are you always so clumsy?” Wen Ru heard the sound and looked over. Seeing this child always in a fluster, rushing about, she couldn’t help but chuckle and tease him, “Hua Ting will be back soon. I’ve never seen him leave my side for even a quarter of an hour. What’s the rush? Just sit down, we can wait together.”

Hearing her words, Fu Jizhou had no choice but to stand still. Instead of sitting down, he lowered his head, leaning on the edge of the table, timidly standing at the farthest point from Wen Ru.

“Am I that scary?” Wen Ru had originally intended to lift the blanket and get out of bed, but suddenly realized she was only wearing a white cross-collared undergarment inside. Abandoning this idea, she sat on the bed looking at him.

Now she actually wanted to ask him to leave so she could get dressed, but going back on her word would probably make this little antagonist think she was deliberately making things difficult for him.

“How did you end up here?” Seeing Fu Jizhou standing silently and nervously, Wen Ru drooped her eyelids, revealing an innocent expression, and helplessly shook the ridiculously thick brocade quilt covering her. “You didn’t come to see me, did you? Ah, I just slept a bit too deeply. Hua Ting must have spread the news of my illness throughout the entire Wen family.”

Wen Ru had already assimilated the memories of the character Wen Jinyi, so her understanding of Hua Ting was naturally a bit deeper now.

She was actually a bit worried that with a male nanny by her side who was attentive to every detail, spoiled to the point of taking liberties, and who wished to protect her 24 hours a day, she might not be able to resist crying out for freedom.

“Hua Ting said you’re staying in the courtyard next door. How is it? Are you comfortable there? If you need anything, just say the word. I see that the Wen family doesn’t lack gold, silver, or jewels, so you don’t need to be frugal.” After speaking, remembering something, Wen Ru rummaged under her pillow but didn’t find what she was looking for. She craned her neck to look towards the round table Fu Jizhou was leaning on and asked, “Can you check if there’s anything on the table? After I fell asleep, I don’t know where Hua Ting might have put it.”

Hearing this, Fu Jizhou turned his head to look at the round table beside him. The table was about three feet square, covered with a layer of tawny gold-woven brocade. The light yellow background was interspersed with shimmering gold threads, giving it an extremely luxurious appearance. Fu Jizhou’s eyelid twitched, and he quickly withdrew his hand, focusing on helping Wen Ru find what she was looking for.

However, there was only a pot of cymbidium and a set of purple clay teapot and cups on the table, nothing else.

“What are you looking for?” Fu Jizhou looked up cautiously at her and finally spoke.

“It’s not there? Where did Hua Ting put it?” Wen Ru sounded a bit disappointed, her tone carrying a hint of gentle complaint, soft and slightly coquettish. Hearing this, Fu Jizhou couldn’t help but glance at her again. He stepped around the table to check the dressing table and curio shelf on the other side.

Suddenly, he very much wanted to help her find what she was looking for.

Before reaching the curio shelf, he first noticed the phoenix-headed huanghuali horizontal-style clothes rack with clothes draped over it. His steps faltered, and he quickly glanced at the cuffs of the clothes with his peripheral vision.

It should have been put away, right? Fu Jizhou thought. There’s no reason to keep the marriage certificate tucked in the sleeve after changing clothes.

“Yes, yes, go check if it’s on the shelf,” Wen Ru agreed, seeing him walk towards the curio shelf. “It’s not anything else, just your jade pendant. The Wen family is so wealthy, there’s no need for you to spend anything. Keep your own things for yourself. Besides, jade has a spirit. It takes three years for a person to nourish jade, and one year for jade to nourish a person. If you dispose of it so casually, it won’t nurture you anymore.”

Wen Ru chuckled as she spoke.

This must be an adult’s gift, she thought. Making up nonsense to coax a half-grown child comes so easily.

It’s a pity Fu Jizhou wasn’t a bit younger. Then she could use even more childish, sickeningly sweet words to experience it.

Wen Ru was lost in her own thoughts, unaware of how deeply her words touched Fu Jizhou. A sour feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart. Fu Jizhou turned back to look at her with slightly reddened eyes, dazzled by her arched eyebrows and almond eyes peeking out from behind the bed curtains.

No one had ever looked at him with such bright eyes before.

Why were all the people in this Wen mansion – Master Wen, Miss Wen, Zhu Sheng, Hua Ting, and even the unnamed servants – so kind to him?

“If you throw a peach to me, I shall return a white jade for your kindness.” But what could he offer in return?

Fu Jizhou reached up and took the jade pendant from the curio shelf. Biting his lip, he shuffled reluctantly to Wen Ru’s bedside, placed the jade pendant in his palm, and held it out to her.

“What’s wrong? It’s yours, keep it.” Wen Ru looked at his actions with curiosity.

Fu Jizhou shook his head, insistently wanting Wen Ru to take it, but Wen Ru just looked without taking it.

He looked at the jade pendant in his palm, tears falling profusely: “If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have given it away before. It’s even less worthy of you now. But I have no choice, this is all I have. Can you accept it? After I leave, you can throw it away or smash it as you like, alright?”

Wen Ru hurriedly took the jade pendant, saying helplessly, “You cry every time you see me. How will you manage in the future? If Hua Ting comes and sees this, he’ll think I’m bullying you again.”

As soon as she spoke, Fu Jizhou immediately forced back his tears, biting his lip and standing farther away.

With red-rimmed eyes and a red nose, he held back tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, stubbornly refusing to let them fall. This look, though not an accusation, was more powerful than any accusation. It seemed as if he was the most wronged person in the world.

Wen Ru had to admit, this effort to hold back tears was even more impactful than actually crying.

“I was joking. I’m not complaining about you. Ah, a man sheds tears but not lightly, only when the heart is truly hurt. I understand, I understand,” Wen Ru said. “In the future, try to remember fewer sad things. If you ruin your eyes from crying, who will compensate for that?”

Fu Jizhou didn’t respond, but the air of pitiful grievance around him lessened considerably. When Hua Ting and Zhu Sheng brought Wen Nianyue and Doctor Huang, they didn’t notice anything amiss.

Seeing Wen Ru so lively, Wen Nianyue, who had rushed over in a hurry, was quite angry: “You naughty girl, always causing trouble! Hua Ting, remove the licorice and rock candy from the young lady’s medicine!”

“Why do I still need to take medicine?” Wen Ru widened her eyes. “Aren’t I awake now? Look at how chubby my arms are, where’s the need for medicine?”

“Young lady, if you weren’t in poor health, how could you have fainted today? Listen to Hua Ting, you must take the tonic prescribed by Doctor Huang,” Hua Ting stepped forward, insisting firmly.

Wen Nianyue and Doctor Huang also agreed. If she didn’t take the nourishing medicine now, she would have to take harsher medicine later, which would be even more difficult to endure.

Wen Ru couldn’t argue against all of them. She puffed out her cheeks in anger, then noticed Fu Jizhou standing in the corner, acting invisible since Wen Nianyue and the others had entered. This made her even angrier.

If it weren’t for this group of protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters putting on a show, how would she have ended up in this book’s world? She hadn’t really fainted or died; she had been “fighting” at the time. If she hadn’t awakened due to her strong self-awareness, her soul might have been assimilated by this book while she slept. After enduring such hardship for nothing, they were now forcing her to drink bitter medicine, not even allowing her licorice and honey.

How unfair.

Thinking of this, Wen Ru pointed at Fu Jizhou and said, “Then he should take it too. He’s so thin, he needs tonic even more. I see he’s very willing to endure bitterness. Give my licorice and honey to him. I can’t take bitterness.”

Fu Jizhou looked up, his mouth slightly open in surprise. Realizing that everyone was turning to look at him, he quickly pressed his lips together and nodded: “I can. I’m willing.”

Hearing this, Wen Ru beamed with joy, thinking to herself that this child was really sensible. As long as Hua Ting didn’t watch him take the medicine, she would sneak him some preserved fruits.

Wen Nianyue, on the other hand, was so angry she almost lost her composure. At thirteen, she was already a young lady who knew how to hide a man’s marriage certificate, so why didn’t she know how to care for others? In her opinion, if it weren’t for the family’s wealth and status, and if they hadn’t arranged the engagement in advance, this stinky girl might never find a husband she liked in her entire life.